Christmas Vacation

I went home to Oregon for a week and a half. It's always nice to have time off of work and to be with family. The only problem was that the weather was out of control. It snowed and iced over the entire time I was home so I really didn't get to go anywhere and see many people. But the backyard at my parents looked amazing, and I even got to shovel the driveway.

I did go to lunch with my friend Karissa and my friend Aimee and I workout with our instructor Scott, never miss getting to fight. With all the time home meant more time with my 10 month neice Sophie. Pretty much I took a million photos of her, love being an aunt! While at home she figured out how to clap and I taught her how to smile when I said "cheese" for pictures and to scrunch her face up. Now she knows how to make all the crazy faces I do.

2008 Christmas Letter

To Family and Friends,
So to catch you up…my brother returned home from his mission and is back at BYU, and my parents finally became true empty nesters and grandparents. In February my sister had a baby, Sophie, and being an aunt is just the best thing ever. Sadly their family moved to Texas so her husband, Eldon, can do his graduate work, and it’s also where his family is from. But my sister is always sending pictures so I can keep updated. As for me there have been many exciting changes during the year.
This summer we had our family reunion at Park City, Utah and it was great to see all of my family and spend time with my niece. I went to Lake Powell for a weekend in a small plane and even got to fly it. Also went to Las Vegas for my 27th birthday and had so much fun. I’ve been going to the symphony and concerts, like Coldplay, and it has been great to get out and to try new things.
I was working for Washington County as an administrative specialist doing Veteran Services; it was a very interesting job where I was able to meet many veterans. I had a very nice apartment to myself, which I loved. I was a part of the Relief Society Book Club and thoroughly enjoyed getting together with the other ladies and reading good books. I co-taught Sunbeams and I think they are just the best age and group of kids. They never fail to be entertaining! I truly enjoyed my time in that ward.
I started to feel like I needed a change to really jump start my life. So in a matter of two months I got myself a contract job and moved to Utah. I now live in a two bedroom townhome with lots of space for me. I work for H&R Block – Taxworks as an Engineer of Data Logic Mapping, I know it sounds really intense. I take tax programs and write mappings to have them convert over to H&R Block’s tax software, Taxworks. It’s really fun and I work with great people. Not sure how long I will live in Utah, but it has been a very good opportunity for me.
To keep up to date on me always feel welcome to check out my blog to see what new things are going on in my life; juleshouse.blogspot.com.
It’s been a busy year full of many changes, and I am ready for whatever is next. Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Love,
Julieanne

Christmas Concert

I won tickets to the Christmas Concert at the Conference Center. I decided to ask a guy out on a date, and it was a lot of fun. We went to dinner at Macaroni Grill, then got a little behind and traffic was a mess but we made it to the concert right on time, and then afterwards we did a quick walk through the Temple Square lights. All in all the date, music and lights were all fantastic and it was a great night!

Tag--I guess I am "it"
1. Embarrassing Moment: I fall while going up the stairs a lot, it happens way to often:)

2. Best friends: Jayci

3. Things I buy regularly: Food and too much random stuff at Target

4. Places I want to go: Hawaii, Eygpt, Oregon

5. Goals for the upcoming year: Loss weight, get a new car, maybe buy a house

6. Things most people don't know about me: I'm a talker, so most people know everything about me.

7. Things I would never say: swear words

8. Things I love about the Christmas season: Family, decorations, lights, and just the all round feel of the season

9. Things I say to my spouse/pet/kid(s): don't have any of those, but when I come home I tell my house hi, we are good bubbies just the two of us.

10. Things I do a lot: Work and spending time at Jayci's

11. Things I would rather not live without: TV, books

12.People I tag: Jayci, Steph, Jamie

Just Having Fun!

Going out with Jayci and friends on a Saturday night at PF Chang's. Tomas, wish you could have joined us, but sorry your wife was my date for the evening. Whoo hoo we so know how to have fun!

Mozart's Requiem

So to finished out the year I attended Mozart's Requiem but not with some issues of actually getting there. I headed down early to Salt Lake to hang out with Jayci, but dinner was slightly delayed and I knew that I was going to be late for the symphony. Not the end of the world, but then I got stuck in traffic, the street running parallel to TRAX is never the street to take to get to S. Temple, you have to stop every half a block for lights and lots of people. So I'm getting later by the minute and went to park in the same garage I did last time and the lot was full! Guess being on time has its perks. I then had to drive around looking for some place to park my car, I eventually found a parking garage 3 blocks away and even getting in there was slow. I'm now 30 minutes late so I decide to run, thank goodness I was not wearing high-heels! I get there finally and you can't go in until intermission, but I only had to wait 5 minutes. Sadly though I missed the first two pieces, but not the reason I came, Mozart. I got to my seat and when it began, very powerful. I'm used to just instruments only but the singing and soloist were superb. It was a good night finished off with a movie at Jayci's and a sleepover. All in all a pretty good night and an end to a very long day.